Madd al-leen is the stretch you give a waw sakinah or ya sakinah that comes after a fatha (as in خَوْفٍ and الْبَيْتِ) when you stop on the letter right after it. While you are reading on, a leen letter gets no stretch at all. When you stop, the reading of Hafs ‘an ‘Asim allows 2, 4 or 6 counts, much like madd ‘arid lissukun. Understanding madd al leen properly fixes two opposite mistakes at once: stretching it when you should not, and clipping it when you stop. It is a small rule you will use in almost every surah, and one that is easy to master with a Tajweed teacher listening to you.
This guide explains what makes a letter “leen,” exactly when the madd appears, how long to hold it, how it pairs with madd ‘arid, and the special case of the letter ‘ayn at the start of two surahs.
Key takeaways
- A leen letter is و or ي with sukun after a fatha. It is not a true madd letter.
- Reading on: no madd. Stopping on the next letter: 2, 4 or 6 counts.
- Most teachers ask that madd leen be no longer than your madd ‘arid in the same recitation.
- Surah Quraysh is the classic practice text: four ayahs, four madd leen stops.
What Are the Leen Letters?
“Leen” means soft or easy. The letters are called this because they come out smoothly, without effort, when they carry a sukun after a fatha. There are only two:
| Letter | Condition | Example | Sound |
|---|---|---|---|
| و | Waw sakinah after a fatha | خَوْف | “aw” |
| ي | Ya sakinah after a fatha | بَيْت | “ay” |
Compare these with the true madd letters, which carry a natural stretch of two counts every time:
- ا after a fatha, as in قَالَ
- و sakinah after a damma, as in يَقُولُ
- ي sakinah after a kasra, as in قِيلَ
The difference is the vowel before the letter. A waw after a damma is a madd letter; a waw after a fatha is a leen letter. If you are still building your foundation in the natural madd, our guide to madd tabi’i covers it step by step, and our overview of the types of madd in Tajweed shows where madd leen fits in the bigger picture.
When Does Madd Al-Leen Happen?
Two conditions must both be true:
- The word contains a leen letter (و or ي with sukun after a fatha).
- The leen letter comes directly before the last letter of the word, and you stop on that word, so the last letter takes a sukun.
Because the sukun on the last letter only appears when you stop, this madd is “incidental” (its full name is madd al-leen al-‘arid lissukun). If you continue reading, there is no madd.
This explains some common confusions:
- Reading on: in مَالِكِ يَوْمِ الدِّينِ, the waw in يَوْمِ is a leen letter, but you are not stopping on it, so it has no stretch.
- Not directly before the last letter: in عَلَيْهِمْ, the ya is leen, but two letters follow it. Even if you stop on the word, there is no madd leen.
- Stopping where the rule applies: at the end of Surah Quraysh, stopping on خَوْفٍ turns it into خَوْفْ, and the waw may be stretched.
How Long Should You Stretch It?
At a stop, Hafs via al-Shatibiyyah allows three lengths:
- 2 counts (qasr), the shortest
- 4 counts (tawassut), the middle
- 6 counts (tul), the longest
All three are correct. What matters is choosing one and staying consistent within a recitation. One count is roughly the time it takes to fold or unfold a finger at a steady pace.
Pairing madd leen with madd ‘arid
You will often stop on a madd ‘arid lissukun (a true madd letter before the last letter, such as الْعَالَمِينَ) and a madd leen in the same sitting. Teachers usually apply a principle: the weaker madd should not be longer than the stronger one. Madd leen is considered weaker, because a leen letter is less of a madd than a true madd letter.
| If your madd ‘arid is | Your madd leen can be |
|---|---|
| 6 counts | 6, 4 or 2 |
| 4 counts | 4 or 2 |
| 2 counts | 2 only |
The simplest habit, and the one many teachers start students with, is to use the same length for both. For more on choosing your stopping length, see our full guide to madd ‘arid lissukun.
Use the finder below to compare madd leen with the other madd types and see the counts allowed for each.
Madd Type and Count Finder
Choose what follows the madd or leen letter to see its type and length
Practice Text: Surah Quraysh
Surah Quraysh is the best place to practice, because every one of its four ayahs ends in a madd leen when you stop:
| Ayah | Word you stop on | Leen letter |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | قُرَيْشٍ | ي |
| 2 | وَالصَّيْفِ | ي |
| 3 | الْبَيْتِ | ي |
| 4 | خَوْفٍ | و |
Recite the surah slowly, stopping at each ayah, and hold each leen letter for the same count. Then recite it again with a different length (say, 4 instead of 2) to feel the difference. Record yourself and check that all four stops match.
Other places you will meet madd leen at a stop include رَيْبَ in Surah Al-Baqarah (ayah 2) if you pause after لَا رَيْبَ, and many ayah endings across the Quran. Whenever you stop, look at the letter before the last one: if it is و or ي with sukun after a fatha, you have a madd leen.
The Special Case: ‘Ayn in the Opening Letters
Two surahs open with letters that include ‘ayn: كٓهيعٓصٓ (Surah Maryam, ayah 1) and عٓسٓقٓ (Surah Ash-Shura, ayah 2). When you pronounce the name of the letter, “‘ayn,” the ya in it is a leen letter followed by a permanent sukun on the noon.
Because that sukun is permanent rather than caused by stopping, this is a madd leen lazim, and it is read with 4 or 6 counts. Six is the more widely chosen length. This is the only place in Hafs where madd leen is stretched while reading on. Our article on madd lazim covers the other opening letters.
What About Leen Before a Hamza?
Words such as شَيْءٍ and سَوْءَ have a leen letter followed by a hamza. In the reading of Hafs, this leen gets no extra length while you read on. If you stop on such a word, the usual madd leen options at a stop apply.
You may hear some reciters lengthen these words even while reading on. That comes from other riwayat, such as Warsh, which have their own rules for leen before hamza. Most students first complete Hafs, and you can ask about other riwayat during your free assessment.
Leen is a vowel quality as well as a length. English speakers often turn بَيْت into “beet” or “bait,” and خَوْف into “khoof.” The correct sound is a pure fatha gliding into the waw or ya. Getting the sound right matters as much as counting the beats.
Common Mistakes With Madd Al-Leen
- Stretching leen while reading on, as in عَلَيْهِمْ or يَوْمِ in the middle of a recitation.
- Making madd leen longer than madd ‘arid in the same recitation.
- Inconsistent lengths, such as 6 counts on قُرَيْشٍ and 2 on الْبَيْتِ.
- Adding madd where the leen letter is not directly before the last letter.
- Distorting the vowel, turning “ay” and “aw” into the long vowels of your first language.
Stopping rules connect closely: once you have this rule, our guides to stopping on ta marbuta and lam sakinah rules round out what happens at the end of words and inside them. In our online Tajweed course, teachers drill these stops with you until the length and sound stay steady across a whole page.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the letters of madd al-leen?
There are two: waw sakinah and ya sakinah, each with a fatha on the letter before it. Examples are خَوْف and بَيْت.
How many counts is madd al-leen?
When you stop on the letter after it, you may read 2, 4 or 6 counts in Hafs. While reading on, there is no madd. The exception is the letter ‘ayn in كٓهيعٓصٓ and عٓسٓقٓ, which takes 4 or 6 counts.
What is the difference between madd leen and madd ‘arid lissukun?
Both happen when you stop and both allow 2, 4 or 6 counts. Madd ‘arid uses a true madd letter (ا, or و and ي after their matching vowels), while madd leen uses a waw or ya after a fatha. Teachers usually keep madd leen no longer than madd ‘arid.
Is madd al-leen obligatory?
Applying the rule correctly is part of proper Tajweed, but choosing among 2, 4 or 6 counts is up to you, as long as you stay consistent. Stretching a leen letter while reading on, when there should be no madd, is a mistake to avoid.
How can I practice madd al-leen?
Start with Surah Quraysh, stopping at every ayah and holding each leen letter for the same count. Then ask a teacher to check your length and vowel sound; a few sessions of Tajweed lessons online usually make it automatic.
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